Boot and shoe cleaning device



(No Model.)

O. SCHMIDT.

BOOT OR SHOE OLEANING DEVICE. I No. 461,512. Patented Oct. 20, 1891.

14. 1 f m w 1 0 114: mznms Perms CO-LPMDTMITHOV, mskqiw'mu, n. c.

NITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES SCHMIDT, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

BOOT AND SHOE CLEANINGYDEVICE.

SPECIFICATIOL forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,512, dated October 20, 1891.

Application filed June 8,1891. Serial No. 395,555. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louis- 1 ville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot and Shoe Cleaning Devices; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in a device for cleaning mud and dirt from boots and shoes, and the novelty will be fully un- 1 derstood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sec tional view, and Fig. 3 is a rear view, partly in section and parts broken away.

In carrying out my invention I provide a base A, with vertical side walls a, of a sufficient length and height. Firmly secured in these side Walls at a sufficient altitude to receive a drawer beneath them are brushbars B. These bars, which are arranged in a horizontal plane, carry verticallydisposed brushes b, and these brushes and bars are arranged at regular intervals from each other, so as to form interspaces c for the passage of mud as it is removed from the shoe or boot and received in the drawer beneath. Heretofore in this class of devices it has been pro posed to use scrapers to assist the brushes in removing mud from the shoe and such scrapers have been arranged in various positions. Vith my improved form of scraper, as shown at C, which I arrange one in each tuft of brushes for the sole'of the shoe,I am enabled to thoroughly remove the mud and dirt, and such scrapers 0 being Very light and composed of spring-steel they will give with every movement of the brushes, which are preferably composed of bass-wood or palmetto, and thereby render the cleansing qualities of both the brush and scraper more effective. It will be observed that these scrapers arein the base brushes only, as it would be objectionable to use them upon the upper of a boot or shoe.

D indicates the lateral brushes, which are arranged above the base brushes at opposite ends thereof and secured in the side walls a of the frame.

E indicates a drawer, which may be composed of sheet metal or other suitable material. This drawer slides in the frame beneath the base ortransverse brush-bars,and thefront wall d of said drawer is rabbeted, as shown at e, to strike the forward brush-bar and form a stop, while the opposite end wall fof said drawer extends across the plane of vertical grooves in one end of the side walls, as will be presently explained. v

F indicates vertical grooves, which are formed in one end of each vertical side wall a, and are designed to receive a shield G. This shield G is formed from sheet metal, and its opposite edges are placed in the grooves F. The lower edge of the shield has its corners cut out at g, so as to leave a depending tongue h, designed to enter the drawer and by contact with the inner side of its adjacent end wall hold said drawer in position. It will thus be seen that as the rabbet in the front wall of the drawer is brought against the first brush-bar in the base series and the shield let into the drawer at the opposite end, as described, said drawer will be firmly secured in position and cannot be removed until the shield has been withdrawn. The'upper end of this shield is preferably curved forwardly, as shown, so as to prevent any mud from flying while being removed from the boot.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The bootand shoe cleaner described, consisting, essentially, of the base, the vertical side walls having the guide-grooves at one end thereof, the lateral brushes secured to the side walls, the transverse brushes arranged at intervals and also secured to the side walls, thescrapers arranged in the base-brushes, the drawer having its front wall rabbeted, and the shield arranged in the grooves of the side walls and having the corners of its lower end cut away, so as to enter the drawer and secure the same within the frame, substantially as specified.

2. A boot and shoe cleaner having a series of base or sole brushes arranged at intervals in a suitable frame, said brushes having each tuft provided with a steel scraper, substantially as specified.

In a boot and shoe cleaner, the combination, with a suitable frame having vertical ways or grooves atone end and brushes arranged in the inner walls of a drawer, and a shield adapted to enter the drawer and serve the additional function of holding the same TO within the frame, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

F. ZODINE POLLEY, Jon GOTTBRATH. 

